“Who? Dumb-ass, hot-ass?” She raised her eyebrows, her nose wrinkled. “Abbs, come on. Don’t you see the way he looks at you?”
My eyes swung around to stare at her. She’d never mentioned this to me before.
“Like you’re the last piece of forbidden fruit in the bowl.” A slow grin ensued. “He wants you, to pick you, taste you, eat –”
“I get your point, Lucy.” I interrupted her drily. I stood there contemplating her words.
She leaned in closer. “He feels it. Something holds him back, Abbs, but he definitely feels it.”
She left me there then, stepping through the doorway; the announcement of her arrival was loud, even through the closed door. Lallielle had decided I needed to make a sole appearance or some such crap. I shook off Lucy’s words and attempted to focus on my entrance.
I’d had all of this procedure explained already. I probably should have paid closer attention. Burying my head in the sand had not prevented Lallielle’s crazy party planning. I slipped on my shoes, wobbling slightly before finding my balance.
Deep breath, Abby. You got this.
I stepped through the double doors to the top of a massive curving staircase.
“Announcing the arrival of Aribella, Contessa Frayre.” My new name and title.
The announcer dude had the perfect First-World accent. Deep and rich, it echoed throughout the room without the aid of a microphone. I stopped breathing as the entire room fell silent and faced me. I was not a shy or introverted person, but after so much of my life spent alone or with Lucy, I mostly hated crowds.
Two seconds from hyperventilating, I was turning to exit the way I had come, when I found myself tangled with a man.
“Oh, my apologies. I thought you’d already entered.”
Putting some space between us, I did a double-take. He was massive, typical of the advanced evolution of First Worlders. His features were blond, but his skin was an unusual golden brown. He had an icy cold beauty, almost inhuman. But he was definitely beautiful. Not in the same way as Brace, whose perfection encased a dark warmth that drove me crazy. Blondie was the opposite: a chiselled cold iciness.
“Announcing the arrival of Lucas Questialia, to-be Crown Emperor.”
I guess it was time for me to finally meet Lucas.
Reaching forward, he grasped my hand before bringing it to his lips. A jolt of something shocked my arm. It flowed between us. At that moment a slight smile crossed Lucas’s face.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Aribella. I have been waiting a long time.”
His expression was unemotional, but there was something there that made me uncomfortable. As I pulled my hand free, the tendrils between our grips unraveled and his icy blue eyes flashed. With a slight nod, I turned away and moved forward to walk the massive staircase. He was another complication I didn’t need that night. I stumbled at the first step and almost made my birthday debut by tumbling to my death.
With a tight grip on the railing and my eyes focused on my feet, somehow I made the torturous journey down those stairs.
I stepped onto the ballroom floor and was immediately swamped by the crowd. Apparently, when there hasn’t been a celebration for years, First Worlders really let their hair down. I smiled at each introduction, but could guarantee I wouldn’t remember any of them by morning.
Except maybe Lucas.
He was standing near me, being fawned over by heaps of ass-kissers, although I noticed how easy it was for him to brush them off and move on to the next group. He paused a little longer with a strikingly tall blond woman whose red dress plunged to her navel. She had a husky laugh that floated through the throngs of people. Her red-tipped nails rested easily on Lucas’s jacket.
I was distracted from my observations as Josian reached my side. He had created a path so easily through the crowd.
“How are you going, baby girl?” He enveloped me in one of his amazing hugs. He was so huge it was like being engulfed. “You look so beautiful, just like your mother.”
“Honestly, Dad – this sucks. I want to escape. My eyelashes weigh two tons, my face is that stiff from this make-up, and I swear these heels are communing with Olden’s ghost and trying to kill me.” I vented most of my whining.
He caught me as I stumbled for about the tenth time in as many minutes.
“Well, you’re the right height for a Walker now.” He smiled down from his still much more impressive height. “Did you see the present table, though? Good haul.”
I looked over at the large table running along the back wall. It was packed with gorgeous wrapped packages.
This was becoming absurd.
“I don’t have to open those in front of everyone, right?” Pretending to love gifts from strangers was beyond my meagre acting skills.